The Real Thing
by FriterGirl
Summary: Linden and Holder have finally made there way back to eachother but now what will they do? How will she cope with being back in Seattle? How will they cope as a couple? How will she cope being around his daughter? Will there past come back to haunt them? How will her and Holder keep the inner peace without the safety net of the car that they both call home?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If you have not watched the series finale do not read this story! Several spoilers from the last season and finale. This is what I would have done after the series finale; I do not own anything with "The Killing" just a fan writing what I would have liked to see happen if there was another season! This story is rated T just to be on the safe side, hope you enjoy the story!**

**Chapter 1**

**Lindens POV**

Linden stood outside of the church where she had just said goodbye to the only person who has really made her feel safe in this world, but she knew she couldn't just walk away. Next to Jack he was the person who meant the world to her. She had no idea what she was going to say to him but she knew that not only did she not want to leave him but she couldn't leave him. He was her partner through some of the most challenging cases personally and professionally in her adult life. She drove all over the country trying to find her happiness when it was right in front of her all of this time and now it was time she finally told him the truth. She watched as people walked out the door that Holder had come out of before and she couldn't believe the fear that came over her. This time not fear for her life or the danger of not solving a case correctly, but the fear of rejection. She watched him lock the church door without even notice she was standing there and then there eyes locked.

"What's up Linden? Did you miss me that much?" he said smiling and walking towards her.

"Shut up Holder." She said smiling back at him as he got closer to her face.

"What's up Linden?" He said just an inch from her face.

"I...I can't leave Holder." She tried to stammer through

"What's stopping ya?" He said knowing she was serious.

"You know I never understood the phrase "there is nowhere like home" until we became partners and rode around 18 hours a day in that stupid police car. Now I know that feeling and I don't want to leave it behind." She said trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Sarah, be real right now. You don't want to leave the feeling of home or you don't want to leave the person you shared it with?" Holder said slightly smiling.

"Both." She answered honestly.

"Wow Linden, you are human and have emotions…. I shouldn't have let you leave 5 years ago." He said.

"I'm glad I did, Jack and I have a much stronger bond now. But..." She said before he interrupted her.

"Wait, can we go somewhere besides the middle of the street? I mean I don't want people to think we are creeps standing out here. Get in my car; I will take you to my new place." He said walking towards his car.

Linden decided not to argue about who was going to drive, he was a slow driver but he knew where he was going and she didn't. When she approached the car she saw the pink and black car seat in the back. It flashed in her mind how much she has changed and it made her wonder how much he had changed? He was a dad now and had a lot of different and positive things going on in his life. What if they couldn't see each other eye to eye anymore? She took a deep breath and opened the car door and slipped in out of the cold rain.

"So before we get into the serious stuff tell me how little man is, I know he's college man now but what's he like?" Holder asked her while driving down the street.

"He is playing hockey, which scares the hell out of me but he enjoys it. He has not decided what he wants to study yet so he is doing his general studies first to get those out of the way. He has a girlfriend named Juliana. They went to high school together and they have just stuck together." Linden answered glad she could actually answer these questions about her son.

"Damn, little man got skills. You know he learned them from me, my magic rubbed off on him and that's all it takes." Holder said laughing.

"Yeah i'm sure that is what did it." She asked and laughed.

"I'm glad all of that vending machine food didn't mess with his head and mess his brain up." Holder smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Tell me about your daughter." Linden asked curiously.

"My little princess is the coolest kid you will ever meet; she knows she's a princess though. I have had to hand over my man card a few times because she wants to put make up on me or try to paint my fingernails but she's got that Holder charm and when she turns it on I can't say no. Now I know how people feel when they look at me." He said pulling into a parking spot.

"This is the new place?" Linden said looking up at the nice building.

"I got a baby girl now Linden, I can't have her being around the trouble that came with my old place." He said pushing the button to go up to his floor.

"You have actually grown up Holder, a lot more than I ever did with Jack." She answered honestly.

"Hey, you love little man and you are the best mom you can be. That's all we can be Linden, the best that we can be." He said leading the way into his apartment.

"Yeah well we are on better terms now and that helps. He is grown now though and doesn't need me as much." Linden said looking around his new apartment.

"You want a beer or something?" He asked.

"Coffee would be great." She answered back still looking around his apartment.

"Still on the rocket fuel huh?" He laughed and got the coffee started.

"Of course." She said looking at the little pink shoes by the front door.

"Sarah, sit down. Let's talk and get this out, enough with the awkwardness." He said sitting down on the couch.

"I don't know how to do this. I've never been this girl before. This is all new to me." Linden said looking everywhere but at him.

"I shouldn't have let you walk away five years ago." He said in response.

"I betrayed you in the worst possible way Holder. I pulled a gun on you! The one person who has been honest with me about everything and I thought you had betrayed me." Linden said fighting back tears.

"That's water under the bridge now Linden, we were scared and backed into a corner. It is behind us now and I would like to keep thinking about the future." He said smiling at her.

"So what do you want? For the future?" She asked looking at him desperately.

"I want to keep helping others like myself, I want to watch my baby girl grow up and I want you there with me." He said never taking his eyes off of her.

"Really?" She said relieved to hear that he wanted her there.

"Yeah Sarah, you are my ride. You will always be my ride and I can't go anywhere without my ride." He said smiling back at her.

**Authors Note:**

**When writing this story in each chapter you will see where I write either Lindens POV or Holders POV. I will most likely alternate between chapters but I don't want it to get to confusing so I will post that at the top each time! I have only been through the series one time so I am still learning the mannerisms of some of the characters so please don't be too critical on me for that part! I plan on stretching this story out, we all loved the series and will never get tired of Linden and Holder so I might as well keep them alive as much as possible! I hope you enjoy and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
**Holders POV**

Having Linden back was one of the best feelings he had ever had, it was even better than his other old lady the crystal meth. After five years of not having her either he had gotten use to that loneliness feeling. He felt like he would go insane if his daughter had not been there, she was the best thing that had happened to him. By the time Linden and him had gotten back to the apartment and started talking it was late. They slept in separate rooms in the apartment, they didn't even talk about it they both just had a silent agreement that was best. He slept on the couch while she slept in his bed. He could see the light starting to come threw the window so he knew she would be awake soon. She never slept in, and he doubted she had changed that much. At that moment he heard her moving around in the bedroom like she was reading his mind.

"Holder, are you awake?" She said down the hallway.

"Yeah, I am awake." He said back.

"I am going to grab a shower, will you make some coffee?" She said walking out to get her bag.

"Yeah, I will get right on it boss." He said smiling up at her.

He had been laying on the couch in nothing but a pair of boxers, he had kicked the blankets off and just never picked them up. She was standing there in a pair of sweats and a baggy tshirt, for some reason he thought she would walk out in a full length flannel gown.

"Wow, you own other clothes than a sweater Linden?" He said still lying on the couch uncovered.

"I see you still think you are a slice of heaven huh?" She said smiling back.

"You think I am!" He said laughing.

"Shut up." She said walking back to the bathroom to get in the shower.

He stood up and back to his bedroom and pulled on his sweat pants and put a tank top on. No need in making her anymore flustered than she already was. He walked out and started making the coffee. He remembered back to the Rosie Larsen case and how her and Jack had stayed there that night because she was afraid. He didn't tell her then but it made him happy that she ran to him because she felt afraid, she needed him that night and he was glad he could help her that night. He also remembered how she never ate so he grabbed his frying pan and some eggs and started making his special Mexican breakfast, he knew that had a lot to talk about this morning but they might as well eat first.

"That smells good!" She said walking out of the bathroom, she had on a tight fitting gray shirt and a pair of jeans. She still had her famous ponytail in but something was different about her, standing there she looked like her normal self but there was something different.

"What's up with you? Did you actually put some make up on? Baby you aint gotta try to impress me, you already won me over a long time ago." He responded to her standing there.

"I didn't put any make up on and I am not trying to impress you." She said smiling back.

"You just look different." He said putting the eggs on a plate.

"Thanks, I guess?" She said walking over to the table.

"I mean that in a good way, I was just saying." He said sitting down next to her.

"Thanks for letting me crash here, the hotels were booked when I called yesterday." She replied by taking a sip of coffee.

"You aint staying in no flea bag hotel Linden, you can crash here." He said.

"No I can't." She said shaking her head.

"Why not? I thought we were actually getting somewhere last night?" He told her.

"We did! That is why I can not stay here! Holder we have one chance for us and I want to do it right, I don't want to screw this up." She said unable to look at him.

"Sarah, look at me." He said staring at her until she looked up at him.

"We are not going to screw this up, hell we have been through more caca than any couple I know and yet here we are! Face it, you are stuck with me! So you will stay here and we don't have to have sex right now, we can wait for that. Hell we have waited 7 years we can wait awhile longer. I am not taking the change of you running off again! So you will stay here, with me." He answered back never breaking eye contact.

"Fine, but you are not sleeping on the couch anymore and when your daughter is here I will be staying either with Reggie or at a hotel." She replied.

"Why can't you be here when my little girl is?" He asked confusingly.

"Like I said, I want to do this the right way. I grew up in crappy foster homes and I saw so many whores, male and female come through there. I want to be good in your daughters eyes, not just a whore that daddy brought home." She said firmly.

"Wow, you know I respected the hell out of you before but now it is over the top." He said staring at her.

He could not believe what that little statement did to him, he knew being a father changed him but to hear someone talking about how the wanted to look good in her eyes just went all over him. Here she was, his best friend sitting in front of him. He was not an emotional guy but this was the first time he could honestly say that he was in love with someone. He couldn't control himself anymore and grabbed her face and smashed her lips into his. He could feel the hesitation at first but then she felt him give in and open her mouth to welcome his tongue into her mouth. After they both could no longer breathe they broke the kiss and stood back to breathe.

"Damn Linden, if I knew you had that in you I would have kissed you the first day I got the job." He said smiling watching her cheeks fill with embarrassment.

"Honestly, I was just thinking the same thing." She said laughing while standing up to take her dishes into the kitchen.

"Are you really going to walk away after kissing me like that?" He said following her.

"Were you not just sitting there when you said no sex?" She laughed.

"Yeah, but I said we can wait not that we have to!" He said pushing her against the counter and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I think we should wait." She said while getting her body as close to him as she could.

"That's alright, I have a meeting in a half hour. When you do finally give in, it will be the best time of your life. Not some quicky even though either way you will be begging for more." He said walking backwards out of the kitchen.

"I am going to go talk to Reggie, her and her wife are back and I promised I would see her before I left. She will be glad to know I am staying. Will you give me a ride to my car?" He said while walking down the hallway.

"Yeah, let me just grab a shower real quick." He said closing the bathroom door.

After Holder dropped her off at her car she drove to the dock to see Reggie. When Reggie saw her she had a huge smile on her face and ran to her. They had been through so much and Reggie was the only mother figure that Sarah had ever had and she was so glad to finally be back here and could tell her she was there to stay.

"How are you Sarah? You look good!" She said.

"I am great, you look great as well! Where is the wife?" Sarah asked.

"She went shopping, she has me eating all organic now." Reggie said smiling.

"Gross. You know me, I only eat things that are unhealthy." Sarah said.

"How long do I have you for?" Reggie said.

"Actually, I already have somewhere to stay but I plan on being here awhile." Sarah said smiling.

"That is great Sarah! Where are you staying?" Reggie said even though she had an idea.

"I am staying with Holder." Sarah said smiling.

"Finally!" Reggie said hugging her like a fifteen year old girl.

"Yeah, but I need a favor. I have money saved but I need a job, I cant have Holder paying for everything and I have to be busy." Sarah said looking at Reggie.

"That is perfect! I have a friend that is looking for a social worker! She needs someone to work with at risk youth. A lot of people are afraid to work with them but Sarah you would be perfect at that job!" Reggie said very upbeat.

"You are very excited Reggie. I would love to have an interview!" Sarah said.

"Hey, the closest thing I have to a daughter is now happy and healthy and is going to be living a few minutes away from me! Of course I am happy!" Reggie yelled hugging Sarah.

**Authors Note:**

**I know my update was a little slow this week! My college classes started back up so I dont have much free time but now that I am getting a schedule down it will be easier for me to update now! You can expect at least two or three a week! Thank you for your patience and I hope you keep reading the story!**

**I know this chapter was a little gooey between Reggie and Sarah but I hated how they ended things on the show so I wanted them to have a better relationship! Things between her and Holder are going to start heating up now that they have established they are a couple! Also you can expect to see some faces from the past coming back! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to read and review it!**


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